Flexible rail joint



March 2, 1937. c. A. DISBROW L'lariiSonflDiSbfow m 6mm,

Patented Mar. 2, 1937 FLEXIBLE RAIL JOINT Clarkson A. Disbrow, NewRochelle, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Poor & Company, acorporation of Delaware Application March 7, 1931, Serial No. 520,902

3 Claims.

This invention relates to rail joints, and has particular reference toimprovements in rail joints of either the head-contact or the headfreetype in which provision is made for substantially uninterruptedtransmission of the wave motion of the rails through the joint.

The invention has special reference to a splice bar constructiondesigned for intermittent contact with and clearance from the railswithin zones spaced longitudinally of the bar, whereby, when the bar isembodied in a joint, flexure of the rails within the length of the jointin accordance with the natural wave motion of the rails when traflicpasses thereover is permitted. Thus, rail end batter is materiallyreduced as compared with the rail end batter noticeable in connectionwith rail joints which are lacking in provision to permit transmissionof the rail wave motion through the joints, and at the same time thelife of a joint embodying splice bars constructed in accordance with theinvention is considerably prolonged as compared with ordinary rigidjoints, because of the fact that the provision for flexure of the railsrelative to the splice bars within the length of the joint materiallyreduces the destructive influence of this rail flexure upon the jointconsidered in its entirety.

i The present splice bar is preferably, though not necessarily, of theheadfree type, the same preferably being constructed to take loadingengagement at the upper inner corner of its head with the head filletsof both-standard and headfree rail, and in addition, to have clearanceat its head from the rail heads, whereby the advantages of a headfreejoint are combined with the advantages inherent to a bar constructed tohave intermittent contact with the rails in the manner aforesaid.

Accordingly, the invention has in view to provide a splice bar whichembodies a novel construction designed to permit substantially freetransmission of the wave motion of the rails through a joint employingsaid bars, which is of relatively low production cost, which is strongand durable, and which serves to impart ample rigidity to a joint whererigidity is required.

With the foregoing and other purposes in view, which will become morefully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, thesame consists in the novel features of combination, construction andarrangement as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawing and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing, wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in related views:-

Figure l is a side elevation of a rail joint employing a splice barconstructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 1-1 of Figs. 1; and

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, the rails aredesignated as R, R, respectively, and the splice bar as B, and each railis inclusive, as usual, of a head In, a web II and a base flange l2, andthe head H] is merged with the web I I through a head fillet [3 inaccordance with general practice.

The splice bar consists essentially of a head M, a web l5 and a foot IE,but in sectional shape and general design said bar may be varied withinrelatively wide limits, the head of the bar preferably, but notnecessarily, being provided at its upper inner corner with atransversely rounded rib H to take loading engagement with the headfillet l3 of either a headfree or a standard rail, and, in the event thebar is to be used with standard rail, the head of the bar also beingformed, preferably, for clearance from the underside of the rail head,this desired clearance being inherent to the use of the bar withheadfree rail because of the removal of the lower, outer corners of theheads of rails of this type.

According to the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated inthe figures, the rib or rounded bearing member l! at the upper innercorner of the splice bar is formed medially and at its ends, as at 8 andI9, respectively, for loading engagement with the head fillets of therails, while between these loading portions of said rib the same isdeflected downwardly as at 2|], 20, respectively, for clearance from thehead fillets of the rails. At the foot of the bar the same is formedmedially and at its ends, as at 2! and 22, respectively, for fishingcontact with the upper faces of the rail flanges, and between saidportions 21 and 22 is deflected upwardly, as at 23, 23, respectively,for clearance from the rail flanges.

The medial head fillet and rail flange engaging portions 3 and 21 of thebar are of a length to extend outwardly from the end of each rail adistance approximately equal to the length of the zone of maximum wearupon the rail ends, While the head fillet and rail flange engagingportions I9 and 22 at the ends of the bar preferably are substantiallyequal in length to the length of the clearance portions 20 and 23 of thebar.

In forming the bar the same preferably is rolled to uniform sectionthroughout its length and the clearance portions 20 and 23 thereofpreferably are thereafter provided by subjecting the bar to pressurebetween dies, or by any approved mill or shop practice, thereby to makethe necessary displacements or movement of metal so that the railcontact and the rail clearance portions referred to will properly beformed without vertical or lateral deformation of the web and withoutlateral deflection, bending or bowing of either the head or footportions of the bar.

It is apparent that the bar B is not materially weakened by theprovision of the clearances 20, 23 therein, and the bar therefore is ofsubstantially equal strength to a bar of equivalent section havingcontact throughout its length with the rails. On the other hand, becauseof the clearances 20, 23, it is equally apparent that the wave motion ofthe rails is permitted to freely pass through the joint substantiallywithout interruption, whereby only a relatively minor amount of batterof the rail ends occurs, and whereby the joint as an entirety isproportionately relieved of the destructive influence of traffic passingover the same. Furthermore, the joint bolts are more readily kept tight,the opportunity for wear on the joint bar, the rails and the joint boltsis reduced, and the maintenance cost of the joint is correspondinglyreduced and the life of the joint correspondingly prolonged.

The drawing illustrates that in instances where bolt holes occur withinthe length of the clearance portions of the bar, enlargements 25 ofmetal may be allowed to extend into said clearances so as not to undulyweaken the bar in the vicinity of such bolt holes. Moreover, the drawingalso illustrates the movement or distribution of a suificient amount ofthe metal of the bar from the regions of the clearances 2023 to insureflexing or yielding of the bar to bending strains i without materiallydecreasing the strength of the bar. They also illustrate that the barmay be formed for medial clearance at its foot from the rail flanges, asat 26, and for the rail flange contacts at I8, 21, I9, and 22, withoutany vertical or lateral deflection of the web and without lateraldeflection or bowing of either the head or foot portions of the bar,thereby providing intermittent rail clearing portions in the bar whichare of reduced height as compared with the height of the rail contactingportions, thus insuring a sufiicient flexibility of the bar to carry outthe purposes of the invention.

Without further description it is thought that the features andadvantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form,proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, Withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a rail joint, the rails, and a splice bar having loadingengagement at the inner upper corner of its head medially and at itsends with the head fillets of the rails, the head of said bar beingformed for clearance from the rail head fillets between the said headfillet contacting portions of the bar, the bar having bolt holes withinthe lengths of said clearance portions, respectively, and said barfurther having enlargements of metal in line with said bolt holesextending into said clearance portions.

2. In a rail joint, the rails, and a splice bar having base loadingengagement at its ends with the rail bases, clearance inwardly of eachend from the rail bases, and base loading engagement inwardly of saidclearances with the rail bases, the bar having bolt holes within thelengths of said clearances, respectively, and further havingenlargements of metal in line with said bolt holes extending into saidclearances.

3. In a rail joint, the rails, and a splice bar having loadingengagement at the upper inner corner of its head medially and at itsends with the head fillets of the rails, the head of the bar havingclearance throughout its length from the under sides of the rail headsand clearance from the rail head fillets between the said head filletcontacting portions of the bar, said bar having base loading engagementat its ends with the rail bases, clearance inwardly of each end from therail bases, and base loading engagement inwardly of said last mentionedclearances with the rail bases, the bar having bolt holes within thelengths of said clearances, respectively, and further havingenlargements of metal in line with said bolt holes extending into eachof said clearances.

CLARKSON A. DISBROW.

